But as a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church, which has accepted gay priests for years, and whose priests may marry and have a family, Mello was in the right spot to make all those dreams come true, and more.The ceremony, at which Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be the chief consecrator, will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center and all are welcome.“I was incredibly blessed to have grown up in an environment where I was assured of God’s love for me, and of my family’s love for me.” “They weren’t explicit,” he said.And I think that that’s all we can hope for for anybody, which is that they understand themselves to be fully beloved children of God, and that God calls all of who they are, and uses all of who we are to effect the work of God in the world.” Mello is aware, though, “that this is not still very much an important issue for folks, particularly when it relates to the church.” And it goes both ways.For many, having a gay priest can be a healing experience, he said, just as it was when women first were accepted as priests."